Palace to House: Vote on ABS-CBN’s fate based on ‘conscience’

House lawmakers can vote on ABS-CBN’s new legislative franchise based on their “conscience,” Malacañang said on Tuesday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque issued the statement, as he maintained that President Rodrigo Duterte’s stance on ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal remains “neutral.”

“Ang Presidente naman po, ang sinabi niya (The President said) the members of Congress can vote according to their conscience dahil siya naman po ay neutral (because he said he’s neutral),” Roque said in a virtual presser aired on state-run PTV-4.

The House committees on legislative franchises, and good government and public accountability resumed Monday their 12th hearing on the pending bills seeking the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise for another 25 years.

The House hearings on ABS-CBN’s franchise, which began last month, focused on the citizenship of ABS-CBN chairman emeritus Eugenio Lopez III, the network’s issuance of Philippine Depositary Receipts, and the supposed labor and tax violations committed by the embattled media firm.

On Monday, the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches urged Duterte to “support” the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN.

Roque said the appeal should be directed to lawmakers because they will be the ones to primarily decide on ABS-CBN’s fate before Duterte can give final verdict on the franchise bill.

“I-address po natin ang appeal sa Kongreso kasi desisyon po iyan ng Kongreso (Address the appeal to Congress because the decision will come from Congress),” he said.

ABS-CBN, upon the directive of the National Telecommunications Communications (NTC), ceased the operations of its television and radio broadcasts on May 5 after its franchise expired on May 4.

On June 30, the NTC issued another cease and desist order, directing ABS-CBN to stop operating its digital transmission using Amcara Broadcasting Network, Inc.’s Channel 43 and the direct-to-home satellite transmission of its cable firm, Sky Cable Corp.

Roque reiterated that the Palace would let Congress exercise its independence when it comes to making a decision on ABS-CBN’s fate.

“Respetuhin na lang natin ang kapangyarihan ng mababang kapulungan dahil sa kanila dapat magsimula ang panukalang batas na magre-renew ng franchise sa ABS-CBN (Let’s respect the lower chamber in exercising its authority because the franchise bill of ABS-CBN will have to come from them),” he said.

The Senate and the House of Representatives need to first ratify a bill granting new franchise to ABS-CBN.

The ratified measure from Congress will then be transmitted to Duterte’s office for his signature.

Malacañang has repeatedly ensured that Duterte would not veto the bill, unless the measure has constitutional infirmity.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1108215

BBB infra projects resume but must be 'reprioritized’: Palace

All infrastructure projects under the national government’s ambitious “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) program will push through amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) but will be subject to “reprioritization,” Malacañang said on Tuesday.

“Tuloy naman po ang BBB. Kung meron pong mga pagbabago sa plano, it’s a matter of reprioritization or yung tinatawag nilang for future release (BBB projects have resumed. If there will be changes in the plan, it’s a matter or reprioritization or what they call for future release),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual press briefing.

The resumption of “Build, Build, Build” projects is seen as a solution to reboot the country’s economy that contracted for the first time in 22 years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

On June 16, Malacañang announced that the government is ready to resume all big-ticket projects under the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.

Some of the projects that have resumed are the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Harbor Link, the NLEX-SLEX Connector, the Cavite-Laguna Expressway, the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3, the R-1 Bridge Project, the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway Project and the Subic Freeport Expressway Project.

Loan agreements were also signed between the Department of Finance and Japan International Cooperation Agency for two flagship infrastructure projects -- the PHP57-billion loan to support the Cebu-Mactan Fourth Bridge and the Coastal Road Construction in the Visayas and the PHP18.5-billion supplemental funding for the Davao City Bypass Construction Project.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), in its report called “We Recover as One, recommends the alignment of expenditure priorities in 2020 and 2021.

The NEDA report also calls for a review of the list of “Build, Build, Build” projects to give priority to crucial and shovel-ready projects, provide more space for relevant health-related expenditures, and improve the country’s digital infrastructure.

“Budget reprioritization may be needed to fund the PAPs (programs, activities, and projects) that are recommended to be implemented in 2020. PAPs that are to be implemented in 2021 will need to be included in the 2021 National Expenditure Program,” the report said.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), in its Memorandum 136 dated May 21, also seeks the review and reprioritization of the proposed 2021 budget towards containing the spread and mitigating the effects of Covid-19 outbreak.

For 2021, DBM suggests that there should be funding for road and transport projects under “Build, Build, Build” program.

House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano proposed on Tuesday that the “Build, Build, Build” program should be converted into a “Build Back Better Program,” which will focus on infrastructure spending for health, education, agriculture, local roads and livelihood, information technology and tourism sectors.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1108209

Reimagining the Smokey Mountain alignment

The right of way problem which delayed Radial Road 10 spanned six presidents. The road traversing the old Smokey Mountain area was congested by informal settlers. It was only in January, 2017, that the Department of Public Works and Highways, under the leadership of Secretary Mark Villar, was able to complete the conversion of the 9.7-km road section into a high-capacity highway which helped offset the usual heavy volume of vehicles in major thoroughfares like EDSA and C5. 

When it opened, the Radial Road 10 from Delpan Bridge in Tondo, Manila, to the mouth of the Malabon River at Bangkulasi Bridge, C-4 Road in Navotas City, showed a lot of potential. Extending the current alignment of NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 to Radial Road 10 was strategic. An additional exit ramp to the 5.58-km 6-lane divided elevated expressway from MacArthur Highway to C3 Road will provide a direct access between the port area and the northern provinces of Luzon. 

On September 2018, the construction of the 2.6-km, 4-lane elevated ramp began. Twenty-one months later, on June 15, 2020, the R-10 Spur Link was opened to the public, benefitting a total of 30,000 vehicles, 70% of which are truckers and cargo haulers.

Now, travel time from Quezon City to Port Area in Manila has been reduced from 2 hours to only 15 to 20 minutes. 

Within the next two years, the NLEX Harbor Link alignment will be connected to three major infrastructure projects – NLEX Harbor Link Segment 8.2, Skyway Stage 3, and NLEX SLEX Connector. 

Mindanao Ave. to Commonwealth Ave. in 10 minutes

The NLEX Harbor Link Segment 8.2 is an 8.35-km 4-lane divided expressway from Segment 8.1 which will start at Mindanao Avenue and traverse Republic Avenue, Luzon Avenue, and Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. When completed, the project is expected to benefit 45,000 motorists per day and reduce the travel time from Mindanao Avenue to Commonwealth Avenue from 45 minutes to only 10 minutes. 

Makati to Quezon City in 20 minutes 

The main line of the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 Project (MMSS3), an 18.30-km elevated expressway from Buendia in Makati City to the North Luzon Expressway in Balintawak, Quezon City, will also be connected to the high-standard highway network. It will have eight access ramps or interchanges, namely, Buendia Avenue (South Super Highway, Makati City), Pres. Quirino Avenue (Malate, Manila), Plaza Dilao (Paco, Manila), Nagtahan/Aurora Boulevard (Manila), E. Rodriguez Avenue (Quezon City), Quezon Avenue (Quezon City), Sgt. Rivera St. (Quezon City), and NLEX.

The project is expected to decongest EDSA and C5 by at least 55,000 vehicles daily and reduce travel time from Makati to Quezon City from 2 hours to only 15 to 20 minutes. 

SLEX to NLEX in 20 minutes

Another big-ticket infrastructure project connected to the alignment is the NLEX-SLEX Connector Project, an 8 km-four lane expressway, spanning from C3 Road in Caloocan City to PUP, Sta. Mesa, in Manila to the common alignment of Skyway Stage 3.

When completed, the high-standard highway project will reduce travel time between SLEX and NLEX from 1.5 – 2 hours to only 15 – 20 minutes. It will shorten travel time between Clark and Calamba from 3 hours to only 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Reforms in right-of-way

Since 2016, DPWH instituted key reforms in the right-of-way (ROW) processes, including the issuance of an administrative order creating Right-of-Way Task Forces for each of the projects being implemented, which effectively decentralized ROW acquisition functions. This is complimented by the Infra-Track App — a fully automated monitoring system utilizing geotagging feature, satellite technology, and drone monitoring. 

https://mb.com.ph/2020/07/06/reimagining-the-smokey-mountain-alignment/